Making Our People Proud

Dancing takes practice, especially the kind that Mateo does. He’s a hoop dancer. Mateo spins as many as six hoops at a time with his hands and feet. Hoop dancing has been performed by Native peoples for centuries as a way to tell stories and pray.

Mateo is from the Pueblo of Pojoaque (po-WAH-kay). He’s won a few hoop dancing contests. But he thinks hoop dancing is about more than just winning competitions.

“It’s important to keep passing on this tradition,” Mateo explains. “If it’s not passed on, it’s forgotten, and you can lose part of your culture.”

Dancing takes practice, especially the kind that Mateo does. He’s a hoop dancer. Mateo spins hoops with his hands and feet. Hoop dancing has been performed by Native peoples for centuries. They do it as a way to tell stories and pray.

Mateo is from the Pueblo of Pojoaque (po-WAH-kay). He’s won a few hoop dancing contests. But he thinks hoop dancing is about more than just winning contests.

“It’s important to keep passing on this tradition,” Mateo says. “If it’s not passed on, it’s forgotten, and you can lose part of your culture.”

For Azalea, lacrosse is more than just a sport. It’s an important part of her culture. Azalea is a member of the Mohawk Nation. That’s one of the six Native nations in the Haudenosaunee (hoh-dee-noh-SHO-nee) Confederacy.

All modern versions of lacrosse are based on games the Haudenosaunee invented more than 900 years ago. They played as a way to toughen up for wars, settle disputes, and honor their Creator.

“When I play, I have a connection with people that played before me, like my ancestors,” Azalea explains.

For Azalea, lacrosse is more than just a sport. It’s a big part of her culture. Azalea is a member of the Mohawk Nation. That’s one of the six Native nations in the Haudenosaunee (hoh-dee-noh-SHO-nee) Confederacy.

Modern lacrosse is based on games the Haudenosaunee invented more than 900 years ago. They played to help toughen up for wars, settle disputes, and honor their Creator.

“When I play, I have a connection with people that played before me, like my ancestors,” Azalea says.

To learn a language, you might read a book or download an app. But it’s not so easy for Leeann. She’s a member of the Yuchi (YOO-chee) and Creek Nations, and she’s learning to speak Yuchi. There are no books printed in Yuchi, and only a handful of people know how to speak it.

In the past, everyone in the Yuchi Nation spoke the language. But in the late 1800s, the U.S. government forced Native American kids to speak only English. Many Native languages disappeared. Leeann doesn’t want that to happen to Yuchi.

“Because there aren’t a lot of people who speak Yuchi, it’s important that we learn so we can pass it down,” Leeann says.

To learn a language, you might read a book or ask someone for help. But it’s not so easy for Leeann. She’s a member of the Yuchi (YOO-chee) and Creek Nations. Leeann is learning to speak Yuchi. There are no books printed in Yuchi. Only a few people know how to speak it.

In the past, everyone in the Yuchi Nation spoke the language. But in the late 1800s, the U.S. government forced Native American kids to speak only English. Many Native languages disappeared. Leeann doesn’t want that to happen to Yuchi.

“Because there aren’t a lot of people who speak Yuchi, it’s important that we learn so we can pass it down,” Leeann says.